As stated in Dr. Ileana Berman’s last blog post, researchers have uncovered clues to cognitive decline — in the eyes. Now, cognitive scientists are focusing more specifically on Parkinson’s-linked cognitive decline with the help of an eye test.
Does Parkinson’s disease cause cognitive decline? According to a study from the University College London, eye tests can predict whether or not a Parkinson’s patient will develop cognitive impairment. Specifically, the prediction can estimate whether or not an individual will develop dementia within 18 months.
Lead author of the study, Dr. Angeliki Zarkali of University College London’s Dementia Research Centre, stated that the cognitive science research has found that people with Parkinson’s disease, who also have visual problems, are much more likely to wind up developing dementia. This is most likely due to underlying changes in the brain’s wiring. By taking a closer look at eye tests, Dr. Zarkali and his team express that Parkinson’s dementia becomes more easily predicted.
Dr. Ileana Berman intends to keep her audience and blog readers updated on more developments related to eye tests and cognitive decline.